What is I-O?

Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology is the scientific
study of the workplace. Rigor and methods of psychology are
applied to issues of critical relevance to business,
including talent management, coaching, assessment,
selection, training, organizational development,
performance, and work-life balance.

Talent Management Project for a United Nations Agency Deadline December 1!

In its capacity as a non-governmental organization with consultative status with the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council, SIOP seeks to leverage work-, worker-, and employment-related theory, research, and practice to help advance the goals of the United Nations and increase I-O psychologists’ potential for global impact. SIOP’s role in this capacity is to educate, advocate, and make direct contributions to the programs and goals of the United Nations and to connect the work of the United Nations with that of the field of I-O psychology.

One way in which this mission is served is to work directly with UN Organizations in improving their talent management systems, so that consequently, by harnessing the potential of their workforce, they can better attain their goals for maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards, and human rights.

As such, the SIOP-UN Representatives are developing a system for alerting SIOP members of opportunities to directly consult UN organizations in a professional, pro bono capacity. We invite teams of individuals to express interest in the project described below. Teams can be from both the academic and professional sectors, and can consist of combinations of working professionals, academics, graduate students, and international affiliates. Teams will be evaluated based on the unique expertise team members bring to the table (as matched to the project goals); as well as evidence that the project could be completed professionally and competently, within the time frame stipulated in the call.

Project Description

A UN agency is currently facing challenges related to the application of its competency framework to its senior staff positions. Despite similarities in position rank and titles, there exist many differences in the challenges faced by individuals serving in these posts, in different parts of the developed and developing world. This places particular challenges on the agency’s ability to identify proper selection tools for these various positions, as well as their ability to offer a centralized platform for personnel selection. They have requested assistance in the following areas:

Exploring and implementing ways in which, working within current competency and job classification frameworks, competency definitions could be better tailored to capture the work demands inherent to different regions and socio-political contexts

Identifying assessments most suited to measure these competencies

Structuring competency and recruiting/selection systems for greater ease of use, and ultimately more effective personnel systems.

Experience Needed and Deliverables

Experience with job analysis/competency modeling, personnel selection, assessment and psychometrics, as well as cross-cultural, international, and (potentially) humanitarian issues will be key.

A final report, following project completion, documenting the full process, updated competency definitions, and assessment menus and mappings

Other deliverables as determined in preliminary report and agreed to by the agency

Submission Guidelines

To formally express interest in participating in the project, please submit one expression of interest document per project team. This should include the attached cover sheets, along with a 1-3 page narrative describing the expertise of the group members as it connects with the goals of the project. All team members must be listed in this document, and cannot be added later. It is acceptable to include graduate students, understanding that they often have less experience, as long as other team members possess the qualifications required by the project. In these cases, please also include a statement about how students or junior staff will be supervised. Please also include CVs for all project team members. Participation is limited to SIOP fellows, members, student members, and international affiliates. A single pdf, including all required documentation, should be submitted toSIOPUN@siop.org by December 1, 2013.

SIOP Representative to the United Nations

The SIOP Representatives to the United Nations would serve in a liaison, and project oversight capacity. They would serve as a resource, sounding board, and support team, aimed at aiding the project team meet goals and deadlines.

John C. Scott, APTMetrics
Deborah E. Rupp, Purdue University
Mathian Osicki, IBM
Lise Saari, New York University
Lori Foster Thompson, North Carolina State University

Read the full call, including a submission timeline, Disclaimers and Statement on Pro Bono Work, and an Expression of Interest Cover Sheet here!